Ircon locomotives for Northern railway project

Three more locomotives which arrived in Sri Lanka recently to augment the progress of the Northern railway project will be commissioned shortly.

Pre-commissioning work is progressing at the Ratmalana yard of the Sri Lanka Railways under the supervision of a technical team from Diesel Locomotive Works (DLW), Varanasi.

Three officials of Ircon on the engine.

The Diesel Locomotive Works (DLW) in Varanasi, India, is the production unit owned by Indian Railways that manufactures diesel-electric locomotives along with spare parts. It is the largest diesel-electric locomotive manufacturer in India.

These locomotives were supplied by Ircon International Limited, the construction agency for the Northern railway projects, as part of its contractual commitments.

The three locomotives imported last March by Ircon are now in use.

The three new diesel locomotives under the Northern Railway contract reached Sri Lanka in July 2013. DLW, India has sent a team comprising nine technicians, headed by Atul Kanaujia, Deputy Chief Mechanical Engineer to overlook the commissioning and handing over of the locomotives to the Sri Lanka Railways (SLR).

The commissioning and trial run was due to be completed by yesterday.

Ircon International Limited, a state owned construction firm of India, under Indian Railways, is executing the 252-km Northern Railway Project in Sri Lanka. Ircon International Limited started its Sri Lanka charter with the upgrading of the Matara-Galle-Kalutara railway line in March, 2009.

The project involved the rehabilitation and improvement of the track to a modern one with a speed potential of 100 kmph.

The coastal line project was completed ahead of schedule in two phases.

The Medawachchiya-Madhu Road section of the Northern Railway project has been completed and has been taken over by SLR, while work on other sections is progressing on schedule. These projects are funded through Indian lines of credit.

The addition of three more locomotives will ease the additional operational requirements of train traffic in the North.

General Manager of Ircon, S L Gupta was confident that they will put the new locomotive to use by yesterday.